New2Maine.com

The Food and Drug Administration released an advisory this week warning about eating that most noted Maine food, the lobster. “FDA Advises Against Consumption of American Lobster (Maine Lobster) Tomalley” details the risk of Paralytic Shellfish Poisoning from eating the tomalley of Maine lobster. Personally, I think the tomalley is best left in the shell anyway, so this is no big loss, but I know many people who consider it a delicacy. Apparently cooking doesn’t help, either, so for now, just stick to the succulent bits of real meat in the tail and claws.

Today marks the first full year of our residence in Maine. So far we like it up here a great deal. We’re renewing our lease for another year, I’m still working from home, and Amber has gotten a new, full-time teaching position at a middle school in the area (sort of). We’re making friends and starting to feel like this is home. Our only real complaint so far is the distance from our family and friends from New York and Connecticut. Amber laments “if only we could get rid of New Hampshire and Vermont, this place would be perfect.” Not sure that’s going to happen, but as problems go, that’s far from the worst we could be having.

Renowned food blog The Ethicurean just posted a lovely review of some of Portland’s finer fare in a piece entitled Eating SOLE in Portland, Maine: Fore Street, Gilbert’s Chowder House, and Hugo’s. For the uninitiated, SOLE stands for “Sustainable, Organic, Local, and/or Ethical.” The folks who write for the blog are as concerned about food policy as they are about food taste (well, almost).

Blogger Ali spent the past weekend sampling the aforementioned establishments and came away with nothing but praise for all three. Well, she did lament the styrofoam service at Gilbert’s, but the food received rave reviews. Having only tried one of the three restaurants on her list, I found new inspiration to justify making reservations at Hugo’s.

Fore Street got top marks for its dessert, a bread pudding, its side of morels, and its impressive efforts to serve locally sourced foods. The casual atmosphere, the mix of patrons, and the view of the kitchen from all tables were also praised. She summed up her review stating Fore Street “was just that kind of place; comfortable, and all about honest, good food.” I agree.

Gilbert’s Chowder House, which I have not yet experienced (Amber and I are still working up to full-blown love of seafood), received low marks for sustainability, but high marks besides. The Maine shrimp were a highlight for Ali, and the Shipyard IPA (really, they have Fuggles on draft?) complemented it nicely. “In the end, it wasn’t fancy, but the truth is, sometimes chowder and fried seafood, served with a cold beer, is exactly what you want.”

The highest praise was, not unexpectedly, saved for Hugo’s, which continues to wow just about every reviewer that gets a table. Amber and I haven’t gotten around to eating there (sad, I know, given that we’ve now lived here for 51 weeks), but it continues to float near the top of our list. Our full-scale, price-be-damned dining has slowed of late, so I’m not sure when exactly we’ll get there, but when we do, I’m sure we’ll be as delighted as Ali. “The whole experience—the unlikely pairing of flavors, the ethereal aromas—was intoxicating.”

If you’ve not yet tried the food scene up here, you owe it to yourself to make the trip, especially while the weather is wonderful. Just call ahead for reservations, or plan to arrive very early. Fore Street and Hugo’s are both tough tables to get.

It has been reported on the official Portland Sea Dogs website, and just about everywhere else, that Red Sox slugger David Ortiz, a.k.a. Big Papi, will most likely be doing a three game rehab stint with the Dogs next week. Tickets to the July 21-23 games were sold out very quickly, as expected. Unfortunately, Amber and I were out of town dealing with some family medical issues when the announcement was made, so we’re left trawling Craigslist and eBay for tickets. I have a feeling I’ll be paying a good bit more than the $7-8 face value to get into the ballpark.

I stumbled upon another great (mostly) Maine blog today called Travels with Hilary. In it Hilary Nangle details her journeys as a freelance writer and lover of food and Maine. She’s also the author of three Maine-themed Avalon Travel Publishing Moon travel guides: Moon Maine, Moon Coastal Maine , and Moon Acadia National Park.

Amber and I have yet to see most of Maine, having concentrated too much I fear on the Portland area. Hilary has some great Maine travel destinations that you should definitely check out if you’re interested in exploring Maine. I think Amber and I need to get our bikes and head out to some of these spots.